ThyroLife Iodine

Iodine and Thyroid Function; Why You May Need Iodine Thyroid Support

You may be one of the many millions who have a sluggish thyroid or whose thyroid glands are struggling to manufacture the exact right amount of thyroid hormone as a result of low intake of iodine. The manufacture of thyroid hormone depends on whether you are taking the right amount of iodine. Iodine is picked up by thyroid cells and gets attached to the amino acid tyrosine in the thyroid cell. The combining of two molecules of tyrosine to which iodine has been attached results in the manufacture of the various forms of thyroid hormone including T4 (containing 4 iodines) and T3 (containing 3 iodines). It is obvious that without the required amount of iodine, the thyroid gland will not be able to meet the needs of your system.

The Two Forms of Iodine

Iodine comes in two forms; iodide, which is a charged single molecule, (elemental iodine) found as an iodine salt such as what you get when you consume potassium iodide or sodium iodide, and that is the main form of iodine consumption in the United States. The main sources of iodide are table salt, salted foods, breads, cheese, cow’s milk, eggs, frozen yogurt, soy milk, and cheese. Iodine represents two iodine molecules bonded together (molecular iodine). The main sources of molecular iodine are seaweed, saltwater fish, and shellfish.

To achieve a well-balanced intake of iodine for the thyroid gland to work optimally, it is ideal that you consume both forms of iodine in the right amounts. Iodide is viewed as an anti-oxidant and is a readily available form of iodine for the thyroid gland to utilize for manufacture of thyroid hormone. Iodine not only fulfills that purpose, but helps the thyroid cell to get rid of toxic elements such as chlorine, bromine, and fluorine.

How Common is Iodine Deficiency?

Recent research has shown that at least one out of every 10 people living in the United States have clear cut iodine deficiency, based on urine testing for iodine. Iodine deficiency is more common among women in their reproductive years. You need to know that if you are pregnant, you need to consume more iodine and you are more likely to have iodine deficiency because the developing fetus consumes some of the iodine that you have in your system. Iodine deficiency during pregnancy is the leading cause of intellectual deficit and mental impairment among newborns. Worldwide, 20 to 30 percent of people do not consume adequate amounts of iodine. Before the 1920s, iodine deficiency was quite common in some areas of the United States. Since then, because of iodine supplementation, iodine deficiency has become less common. However, since the 1970s, the consumption of iodine has been declining in the United States, mostly because of changes in diet and because many foods do not contain adequate amounts of iodine. Even if you are consuming a normal non-salt restricted diet, you may not be getting adequate amounts of iodine. Prepared and processed foods also may contain little iodine even if they are salty. Effects of Iodine Deficiency Even if you have a normal thyroid gland to start with, iodine deficiency can cause you to have a sluggish thyroid and even hypothyroidism with normal blood tests, which I call covert hypothyroidism. For more information, see The Thyroid Solution, Exclusive Rodale Edition 2008 chapter on Covert Hypothyroidism. Iodine deficiency can affect both your body and your mind. It can make you depressed and have feelings of anxiety and cause cognitive changes. Newborns and children to mothers suffering from iodine deficiency are likely to suffer from mental impairment. It can also cause a goiter, which is an enlargement of the thyroid gland trying to compensate for the impairment in thyroid hormone production. If you already have a damaged thyroid gland, for instance as a result of Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, (the thyroid inflammation caused by an immune attack on the thyroid gland) iodine deficiency can make the situation worse and will make your thyroid gland struggle more. If you have an underactive thyroid and are being treated with thyroid hormone replacement therapy, iodine deficiency can make your thyroid levels unstable while receiving the treatment. Iodine deficiency can also affect your immune system. Some foods that can worsen iodine deficiency in the thyroid gland are raw broccoli, cabbage, kale, and millet. These goitergens are often inactivated by cooking.

Why ThyroLife Iodine is an ideal form of Iodine Supplementation and Thyroid Support

While for years, the recommended iodine intake on a daily basis has been 150 mcg to 200 mcg, (recommendation for pregnant women is 220 mcg a day and breastfeeding women 290 mcg a day) thyroid experts now believe that the daily intake of iodine should be between 300 and 400 mcg a day, as published in a recent editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine by thyroid expert Robert Utiger of Harvard Medical School. For most people, it is safe to take up to 1000 mcg of iodine a day (1 mg). ThyroLife Iodine will provide you with 350 mcg a day, which is the ideal total amount that you will need if you are iodine deficient. It also provides you with a well-balanced combination of the two forms of iodine (iodine and iodide). Even if you do not have iodine deficiency at all times, you may go through some periods of iodine deficiency depending on what you eat and do not eat. ThyroLife Iodine will secure consistent and stable availability of iodine to your thyroid and your body. ThyroLife Iodine Support Formula also includes inositol (an important component in the normal functioning of cells) and other constituents for support of your hypothalamic pituitary thyroid system. While taking ThyroLife Iodine, do not forget to take zinc and selenium in the right amount such as found in ThyroLife Optima and Multi-Preventive to optimize the functioning of the thyroid gland and for the thyroid hormone produced to work efficiently.

The commercial forms of iodine that people take by mouth such as SSKI containing up to 50 mg of iodide per drop, Lugol’s Solution containing 6.3 mgs of iodine and iodide, and Iodoral tablets (12.5 mgs of iodine iodide) may provide you with too much iodine which in turn can promote adverse health effects including underactive and overactive thyroid and disturb your immune system. ThyroLife Iodine will give you what you need without that risk. ThyroLife Optima will also provide you with tyrosine, the essential amino acid needed for the manufacture of thyroid hormone.

How will you benefit from ThyroLife Iodine Support?

ThyroLife Iodine Support is designed to provide you with the iodine you need for optimal thyroid function and for optimal detoxification of the thyroid gland. If you are pregnant or breast feeding, it will assure adequate availability of iodine to your thyroid, to your fetus, and to your newborn for the proper functioning of your thyroid and your baby’s thyroid. It will help your immune system and could improve the immune attack on your thyroid. Iodine supplementation has also been shown to prevent breast cancer in rats, the molecular iodine being more effective than iodide salts.

Ingredients

Thiamine (as Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin B1) = 5 mg
Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) = 10mg
Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) = 5 mg
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine HCL) = 5 mg
Iodine/Iodide (from Sea Kelp and Potassium Iodide) = 350 mcg
Inositol = 200 mg

This product is gluten free and contains no yeast, soy protein, milk/dairy, corn, sodium, sugar, starch, artificial coloring, preservatives, or flavoring.